Rebels take refuge in Shillong

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Shillong, July 30:Militants based in the Garo hills region are allegedly using the Meghalaya state capital to take shelter from the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the western part of the state.

East Khasi Hills superintendent of police, M. Kharkrang, said based on intelligence inputs, some militants from the Garo hills were trying to enter the state capital to avoid the ongoing operations.

A team of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos, along with CRPF personnel, intercepted a night super bus at Mawiong in the outskirts of the city around 5am this morning. The bus was supposedly coming from the Garo hills.

From the bus, police picked up two persons who were identified as Sengseng M. Sangma, 21, who hails from Rari in North Garo Hills and James R. Marak, 24, a resident of Williamnagar under East Garo Hills district, Kharkrang said.

During interrogation, Kharkrang said it was ascertained that the duo were members of the Aíchik National Co-operative Army (ANCA), and were directly involved in the shooting of a police constable in West Garo Hills recently.

The ANCA was formed recently, and is one of the outfits operating in the Garo hills.

On Saturday, police constable Abhijit Mazumder was injured after he was shot at while he tried to stop goons from abducting his schoolteacher friend Soumendro Chakraborty.

The incident occurred at 7th Mile on the outskirts of Tura in West Garo Hills.

Chakraborty was, however, abducted. He was released on Sunday evening while police managed to arrest four persons, including the wife of the mastermind.

Kharkrang said Sengseng and James would be handed over to the West Garo Hills police.